Rob Stobbe, the head of SA Power Networks, which operates the local network in South Australia, says rooftop solar has already fallen to around 5c/kWh for households and businesses.

The cost of battery storage, he says, will fall to within 10c/kWh of usable power within the next 5-10 years, meaning a total of 15c/kWh for solar and storage – less than half the cost of grid power in South Australia (35c/kWh).

“Why wouldn’t that new technology come on board,” he said, in a panel session at the presentation of the AEMO final report on last year’s “system black” in South Australia.

The dramatic forecasts by one of the country’s key network owners highlights just how fast, and how extensive, the national grid’s shift from centralised to distributed energy will be.

And it has huge implications, not just for the way the network businesses are run, but also for the generators and retailers – often the same company – that operate most of the centralised generators and bill the customers.

Stobbe says that in South Australia, he expects at least 70 per cent of all its 850,000 customers to have rooftop solar, and 50 per cent of its customers to have battery storage by 2035.

In a grid that has a peak load of just over 3,000MW, and average load of around 1,500MW, rooftop solar will have combined capacity of some 2,000MW, with another 2,000MW of battery storage on top of that.

Then, he says, there will another 2,000MW or so of vehicle battery storage – with 30 per cent of customers taking up EVs – both drawing down from the grid at certain times, but also able to provide much of that capacity at others.

“Solar from the roof itself will have a big impact. No doubt within 5-10 years, those prices will come down significantly.

http://reneweconomy.com.au/s-a-network-says-solar-plus-battery-storage-t...

As the cost of electricity storage goes down, electricity providers hate this, because of the price differential...

Renewable energy production in South Australia has hit the state's target almost eight years ahead of schedule.

The Government's target is for 50 per cent of the state's energy to be supplied from renewable sources by 2025, and in the past year it has been reported 53 per cent of its energy has come from sun and wind-based sources.

South Australian Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis described the increase as a "good thing" while also attacking the Opposition, claiming they do not have an energy policy.

"I am very pleased with those results. I am pleased that South Australia is leading the nation," Mr Koutsantonis said.

"I am pleased that we're getting most of that renewable investment here in South Australia, it's doing great things.

read more:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-10/south-australia-renewable-energy-t...

While the outages occurred around the same time there is no evidence they were connected or coordinated.

read more:

https://www.rt.com/usa/385646-blackouts-hit-la-ny-sf/

Read from top... Obviously Hollywood needs more windmills for power...

Politicians are getting away with flagrant dishonesty as a shift from fact to opinion colours the political debate around climate change, former Liberal leader John Hewson says.

• There's a a lack of evidence in public debate, John Hewson says
• He says politicians either ignore climate change or attempt to use issue to score points
• Australia has reached a point where facts are of lesser value than opinions, he says

Dr Hewson was speaking in the run-up to today's Global March for Science, with gatherings taking place in 12 Australian cities and towns as well as in Washington DC and other centres worldwide.

He told AM he initially decided to get involved because he was concerned about the "the lack of evidence being used as the basis of public policy".

"I think science is probably more useful and more relevant to society today than it's probably ever been. But there's been a widening gap between science and the public," he said.

"We see science funding being cut. We see, obviously, a lack of evidence in public debate. We see attacks on scientists, as we've seen in the climate change debate.

read more:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-22/john-hewson-pleads-for-politicians...

Meanwhile:

Thousands of people have rallied across Australia as part of a global movement calling on political leaders to focus more on science.

Crowds gathered in cities and towns including Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Perth, Brisbane and Townsville as part of the inaugural March for Science, which is taking place in 500 locations worldwide.

read more:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-22/march-for-science-australians-join...

see also:

What is global warming?

From Piers Akerman

THE greatest threat to our ­security is not Islamic State, it’s not African gangs, it’s not even the drug-addled Islamist idiots targeting pedestrians.

No, the clear and present danger to the nation comes from the failure to ensure our own energy security.

Australia is the ninth-­largest energy producer in the world with massive renewable and non-renewable energy ­resources yet it can’t guarantee energy supply to its industries and domestic users.

This is a failure of policy at both state and federal levels caused by supine subservience to the faddish global warmers.

Forget renewables and batteries, like South Australia, which relies on huge diesel back-up or the pie-in-the-sky pumped hydro that requires more power than it produces to keep its reserves ready.

We just aren’t tapping our reliable coal or uranium ­reserves as we should be.

That’s why we must rely on imported fuel to exist as a nation and why we are hostage to others.

read no more:

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/piers-akerman-australias-...

We've been tapping our coal reserve for yonks... We've burned coal since the late 1800s to make electricity. Many of Sydney's power stations had to be shut down since because they killed people with soot and smoke... New power stations were build in the countryside, next to the coal mines, including Liddell... All these are old and tired and to say the least inefficient. New technologies are needed and nuclear power station are not it. They cost a lot of money to install and a lot of cash to decommission... plus added cost for security... and reprocessing, storing nuclear waste... Pumping water back up is a pipe dream that would make the fanatics of perpetual motion salivate...

Piers writes shit as usual, especially in regard to renewables and to giant battery storage which of course are more efficient, less polluting and do not create CO2... Did we mention global warming?... 

see also:

What is global warming?

During the months Western Australia was forced into lockdown by the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a noticeable spike in drain blockages, including more massive “fatbergs” that cost authorities $3.3 million to clear.

“Fatbergs” accumulate when foreign objects flushed down toilets bind together, and during the months the state was locked down there was a noticeable spike in drain blockages.

“Things like wet wipes, nappies, sanitary products, toys, money, even a bedsheet, people’s mobile phones, sometimes the odd engagement ring – you know, all those things [that] shouldn’t be going down the toilet,” the Water Corporation’s Clare Lugar said.

The grubby matter – mixed with oils, grease and fats that wash down the sink – result in fatty lumps of hard and pungent crud that blocks pipes and triggers sewage spills.

“Fatbergs really are a problem for us because they clog up our pumps,” Ms Lugar said.

“If those pumps can’t run it means that wastewater starts to back up in the system – and nobody wants that because it can overflow.”

Read more:

https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2021/01/14/coronavirus-lockdown-fatbergs-pipes/

Read from top.